Man of Aran

UPC: 037429163924

Studio: Homevision

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Suitable for Children]

Summary: Nonfiction filmmaking pioneer Robert Flaherty's first sound feature elaborates on themes presented in his two previous major works, Nanook of the North and Moana. In all four of his major features, including Louisiana Story, Flaherty explored the relationship of man to his natural environment. This film was shot between 1931 and 1933 on the Aran Islands, west of Ireland's Galway Bay. Flaherty's screen "family" was actually composed of three unrelated islanders chosen for their photogenic appeal: Colman "Tiger" King is the title character, a no-nonsense fisherman, Maggie Dirrane plays his wife, and Michael Dillane his young son. Flaherty is more interested in recording the natural beauty of the islands, which are largely rock, and the surrounding sea than in presenting any formal information on the lives of the islanders. Life here is as elemental as it was for the Eskimos in Nanook and the South Seas islanders in Moana. Though the film came under fire from some critics at the time of its release for not presenting the social conditions that hampered the lives of the islanders -- many of them renting from absentee landlords indifferent to their economic well-being -- it has come to be accepted as work of film poetry rather than a social document. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Category: Culture & Society

Awards: Best Foreign Film – National Board of Review Best Foreign Film – Venice International Film Festival

Features: New digital transfer
How the Myth Was Made: a 60 min. documentary about the making of Man of Aran
Hidden and Seeking: a documentary excerpt featuring Frances Flaherty
Flaherty and Film: a filmed discussion of Man of Aran with Frances Flaherty
Looking Back: Robert J. Flaherty reflects on the making of Man of Aran
Outside the Frame: a gallery of rare photos and sketches

Man of Aran

Format: DVD

Release Date: 05/20/2003

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 77 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Opening Credits [2:08]
2. Waiting for Father [5:04]
3. The Cruel Sea [7:57]
4. Working the Land [6:11]
5. Searching for Soil [3:57]
6. Daily Chores [6:59]
7. The Silent Monster [5:33]
8. Harpooning the Beast [7:26]
9. The Struggle [4:03]
10. Victory [5:53]
11. "Go Home" [4:53]
12. Wind and Water [7:22]
13. The Wrath of Nature [8:56]
1. When Life Becomes Myth [5:53]
2. The Cast [17:35]
3. Relics [10:35]
4. The Flaherty Frame [9:29]
5. The Legacy Continues [14:51]

Tom Wiener

Robert Flaherty spent three years on the Aran Islands shooting footage for a nonfiction film that didn't break 80 minutes, but the director didn't spend his time waiting for something dramatic to occur. In fact, several of Man of Aran's most memorable scenes were created for the cameras. A venture into stormy seas would not normally be attempted by experienced fishermen who respect the power of the ocean to overwhelm their modest boats, and hunting for gigantic basking sharks was something the islanders hadn't tried in years. Flaherty was more interested in capturing the physical details of a place than systematically recording the daily routines and concerns of his human subjects. That he was criticized during the depths of the Depression for not revealing the economic hardships of the Aran islanders wasn't surprising, but it misses the point of Flaherty's real interest: the eternal dialogue between man and nature. The film's collection of startling yet totally unforced imagery is testimony to the filmmaker's eye and passion, which are in turn the basis of his lofty reputation. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Maggie Dirrane  Actor 
Robert Flaherty  Director 
Colman "Tiger" King  Actor 
Michael Dillane  Actor 
Pat Mullin  Actor 

Country: UK